Method and means for manufacturing tapered fishing leaders



S'ept.30, 1952 w. s. i= "E1"ERsN, sR 2,612,003

' METHOD AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING TAPERED FISHING LEADERS M1759 J, Pfff/PMM Je ATTO/@HEY w. s. PETERSON, SR METHOD AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING 2 sHEETs-sI-EET 2 TAPERED FISHING LEADERS Sept. 30,l 1952` Original Filed Nov` 17, 1947 //Y VEN TOR.'

BY '/QTTOAWYEY Patented Sept. 30, 1952 METHOD AND MEANS FOR MANUFACTURING TAPERED FISHING LEADERS Walter S. Peterson, Sr., Denver, Colo.

Original application November 17, 1947, Serial No. 786,527. Divided and this application March 21, 1951, Serial No. 216,777

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the artand practice oi shing, and more particularly to means for the production of tapered iishing line leaders of the type illustrated and described in applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 786,527, filed November 17, 1947, of which this application is a division.

I:the principal object of the invention is to provide an improved construction, combination, and arrangement of elements constituting apparatus operable for the production of unitary, tapered, fishing line leaders.

A further object of the invention isv to provide an improved method applicable to eiect the tapering of conventional elements into the form of tapered, unitary, iishing line leaders.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus for the production of tapered, unitary, fishing line leaders that is largely .automatic in operation, rapid and eflicient in the production of tapered leaders in form and condition ready for use, that is simple and inexpensive of manufacture and productive employment, and that is adaptable to a wide variety of particular opera-` I tive applications.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists in the method productive of such leader, and in the construction, arrangement, and combination of elements constituting apparatus for manufacture-of such leader, all as Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the showing of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section, on an enlarged scale,` taken on the line 3 3, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the right-hand portion of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section, on a further enlarged In the art and practice of iishing by means ofl hand rods, it is customary, for various reasons,

2 to interpose a length of material diifering from that of the fishing line betweenthe free end of said line and the hook,.bait, or lure manipulated therethrough. In the pursuit of certain types of game fish, such as trout, the length of the interposed material, known as a leader, between the hook and line end has as one function to minimize the visibility and conspicuousness vof the line, to which end the leaders so used are y-commonly of nylon, gut or comparable relatively strong, translucent material, and have as another, simultaneous function to facilitate casting and manipulation of the light-weight lures or baits, customarily artificial iiies, in a manner calculated to attract, and notfrighten, the fish. In an attempt to satisfy the requirementsfor leaders employed in so-called y-shing, it has heretofore been the practice to knot together relatively short lengths of nylon, gut, or comparable material in a succession of progressively decreasing diameters and thereby approximate a leader of desired length and material and tapered form; it having been determined that the leader of greater diameter at the point of lline end attachment and lesser diameter at the point of hook attachment was desirable and leffective in attainment of the line and bait manipulation deemed proper. Leaders of knot-assembled type above described'are satisfactory as to the materials' employed, but the junctions of their constituent, different diameter strands have proved to `be points of disruptive weakness.v Due to the short bends and consequent kinking of the strand material in the" knots, such knots modify to some extent the translucent, inconspicuous value of the leader material, and such knots serve as nodes to interrupt and hamper the lsmooth whipping and y manipulation of the leader through the'agency of the rod and line; all of which disadvantauresl have long emphasized the desirability of a con-v tinuous, integral length ofl nylon or g'ut material tapered from end to end Vinta length andv to vterminal diametric `dimensions suited to its speciiic use as a fishingV line leader, and the instant invention is directed to the provision of such a leader.

As shown in Fig. 'i of the dra-Wings, the imn proved leader of the 'invention is a continuous strandoiv length lll of nylon, gut, or vanalogous translucent materiaL'solid throughout its length,

circular in section at all points in its length, and

exteriorly tapered with substantial uniformity from a greater diameterr` end l! attachable in any convenient or desired manner to and as an extension from thefree end of a iishl line and to a. lesser diameter end i2 `corinectible in any con- `top surface.

venient or desired manner with the hook, bait or lure to be employed.

For the production of tapered leaders of the type shown and described from uniform-diameter strands or lengths of nylon, gut, and the like, a flat-top table I3 is provided in an over-all length exceeding that of the leader to be produced and is suitably and rigidly supported with its top surface horizontal. Fixed to and rising above opposite ends of the table i3, journals ill rotatably mount spindles l5 in spaced relation and axial alignment longitudinally of and above the table top surface. Opposed inner ends of the spindles I5 are equipped with suitable chucks vIt actuatable to clamp opposite ends of a uniformdiameter strand I1 of the material from which the leader is to be constituted, and to lightly tension said strand in axial alignment with and bridging relation between the spindles i5. Outer ends of the spindles l5 `are equipped with bevel gears 18,-each of which: meshes .with a bevel drivinggear I9 on-the inner end ofashaft 2li journalled for rotation to and transversely of the table I3 and extending beyond the table side margin. Outer ends of theshaft 22 are equipped with bevel gears .2i which :mesh with bevel driving gears 22 on the opposite ends of a shaft 23 rotatably l disposed in spaced lparallelismwith and adjacent a long side .of the table I3, and an electric motor24 in directrdriving relation with the shaft 23 is hence-efectiveupon energization to rotate the shaft 23 andrrotatively drive thespindles I5 atl the same speed and in thesame direction through the agency ofthe driving connections i3, I9, 2D, 2| and 22;I such rotation of the spindles I5 operating to spina thestrand I1 about its axis at a. speed and. in adirection determined by the motor. 24 and the proportions and relationships characteristic -of the ydriving. connections noted.

A grindinghead assembly is, supported by and arranged to slide longitudinallyof thetable i3 The grinding head assembly includes a base element 25 ydisposed vtransversely of the table top in guided'engagement with a track 26 rlxed longitudinally V,ofand rising above the tabletop 'in spaced, parallel relation with the axis ofthe mountedstrand SI1. The base 25 .and the elements carried thereby .aredesigned to bel power-fed. in l.one direction along `the trael: Zefand table top at a speed suitably proportioned tothe speed of strand I1 rotation. towhich end a worin 21 fixed to andfor rotation with the shaft 23 operatively meshes with a gear23 on the appropriateend of a shaft 29 disposed for rotation transversely and adjacent one end of the table I3 below ,the table top surface, and a pulley, or equivalent element, l3il onthe other;end ofsaid shaft 29 is operatively connected in driving relation withl a relatively larger pulley 3l rotatably drum in a manner to apply rotation of said drum to effect linear travel of the base along the table and track 25. The effective drive ratio of the connections between the work 21 and drum 33 is such as to rotate the latter at a speed very much lower than that of said worm for consequent relatively slow travel of the-base 25, and said power connections are such as vto move said base in but one direction along the table I3, thus pointing the need of a manually-actuatable clutch 31 controlling the driven relation between the shaft 32 and drum 33 in such selectively-manipulatable manner as permits interruption of the power drive to said drum when the base approaches the limit of its travel toward the drum, manual A returned of said base to the other end of said mountedadjacent the table end in driving relation'with a shaft 32 carrying a drum 33 selectively clutch-connectible in driven relation with the shaft 32. The drum 33 is disposed with its axis of rotation perpendicular to the travel of the base 25 and is formed with-a relatively narrow peripheral channel opening at its upper margin slightly above the table I3 top surface at one side of and in an alignment paralleling the track 2B, so that a flexible connector34 secured at one end to the base 25 may be engaged in and about the channel of said drum 33 and thence returns beneath the table top surface and about an idler wheel 35 at the other end of the table to connection through a resilient coupling 36 with the opposite side of said base, thereby completing an endless, flexible loop-including said base and the table through freevreverse rotation of said drum and reverse travel of the endless loop engaged about the latter, and reestablishrnent of the driving connection between the shaft 32 and drum 33 when the base 251s repositioned for initiation of its powered travel.l

Fixed to the base -25f-at'one side of* thestrand I1,A 'an electric motor-33 is mounted withvits power shaft axis'perpendiculartoand in approximately the same lhorizontal plane width-,the axis of the strand I1, and the end of `thegmotor 33 power shaft adjacent theastra1rd-l1nxedly mounts and rotatably drives-a grindingelement 39 having a suitably-abrasive,y circulanMend-face disposed tangentv to the adjacent side g of the strand I1. It is the functionpffthe element 39, rotatively drivenJ at relatively high constant speed by the motor. Sinto-.grind away strand- I1; surface areas for progressive reduction' of` the strand diameter as the head assembly travels from ione end and to the other` endoffthe table. wit-lllv such grinding element iin controlledspressure ,relation against therspinning strandsI 1,; andrlother elef ments of Vthe .head 'assembly 'unctionfto ,fautomatically control such pressure relationandde.- termine the diameter variation resulting from grinding of the strand"surface,-l in the. manner hereinafter set forth.

Fixedly upstanding from the base 4.25 :in spaced parallelism with and onioppositef-sidesi'of-the motor 38 powershaft,a pair of' webstllrise beneath and into close adj acency `withrthe strand I1 position and Yextend-from adjacent the motor 33 to the end of the-base remote from said motor for the fconstitutionof an upwardly-opening, guide channel. Inner ends of the'websllll-are equipped with hooks 4I susceptible of-manual angular adjustmentintoqandout of engagement over thestrand l10n-.opposite sidesofthe grinding element 39,said hooks lIH cooperating-with upper marginsof-thewebs 4B 'to Ydeiine aguideway wherein said lstrand is-'loosely received and moderately restrained during travel of thesh'ead assembly therealong.. Reciprocable'ftoward and away from the grinding felement 13S-in guided relation between the Webs Hill; `an 'anvilillZV is l mounted with its wear face in opposition-.tothe ently retain saidrmember atwtherlimit of its ade justment away vfrom l the grinding element 39. As will be apparent, the spacing` Vbetween-the grinding element's and .anvilhdeterrninesthe diameter ofthe strand .1 `I 1` vat:4 anygiven pointin the Vhead'assembly travel, since the grinding Vsaid" element and the opposed anvil,l and such diameter-determining spacing is automatically adjusted and regulated as an incident of head travel from one end and to the other end of the table I3; the arrangement shown and hereinafter described as being designed to progressively decrease the spacing between the grinding element 39 and anvil 42 as the head assembly is powered-translated from the initial larger end to the ultimate smaller end of the tapered leader into which the strand l1 is processed. As represented, a simple arrangement for automatic adjustment andregulation of the spacing above discussed includes a journal bearing 44 rigidly between and upstanding above the ends of the webs lil remote from the motor 38`and a shaft 45 rotatably traversing the bearing 44 in substantial alignment with the motor power shaft. The outer end of the shaft 45 lxedly 'engages with a pin-wheel 45 whereof the radial pin elements 4l are adapted to move in clearing relation with the table I3 top surface and successively engage against Vand react to actuating blocks 48 fixed to and rising in uniformly-spaced relation above the table top surface for interruption of the clear path of pin 41 travel along said table. Thus, as the head assembly moves to bring afrst pin 41 into engagement against a rst one of the blocks 48 an angular displacement of the wheel 4S and shaft 45 occurs as a. consequence of continued head assembly travel and in an amount determined by the pin 41 elevation required to clear the block 48, whereafter the head assembly travel may continue without shaft 45 and wheel 4B angular displacement until the next succeeding pin 41 engages the next block 48 for cyclic repetition of shaft and wheel rotational adjustment corresponding with that previously had, theV number and spacing of the pins 41 and actuating blocks 48 being preferably such as to effectuate one complete revolution of the shaft 45 as a consequence of head assembly travel through the complete operative range. The inner end of the shaft 45 adjacently opposed to the anvil xedly mounts a short, cylindrical element 49 rotatable between the webs 40 and worked on its circular face opposed to the anvil l2 to present an annular, marginal cam track 55 uniformly and spirally receding from a high point determinative of its minimum spacing from vthe anvil 42 to a low point adjacent said high point determinative of a maximum spacing from the anvil 42 equal to said minimum spacing plus the reduction in diameter desired between the greater and lesser ends of the tapered leader to be produced. It is the function of the element 49 and its cam track 50 to move the anvil 42 toward the grinding face of the element 39 and thus correspondingly vary the spacing therebetween as the head assembly travels along the table with grinding eifect on the strand Il, for which purpose a stud 5l is threadedly engaged in and with the face of the anvil adjacent the element; said stud 5l having hence an adjustable projectionfrom the anvil susceptible of correlation witheither the high point or the low point of the cam track to determine minimum or maximum spacing between the grinding element face and adjacent anvil surface; a Alock nut or equivalent arrangement being provided to retain the 6 stud A5i in anydetermined-jposition of its adjustment.-

` -l With the arrangement shown and described, the head assembly is moved to the initial position of its range of travel remote from the drum 353, the pin-wheelI d6 is rotated to bring the low point 7 of the caniV track 5!! into registration with the free end of vthe stud 5I, and the latter is then adjusted as toprojection for determination of the desired maximum spacing between the anvil 42 and the grinding face ofthe element 39; the resilient-yieldable coupling of the anvil 42 to the webs .id'such as the springs 43, serving to hold vsaid'anvil away from the grinding element and the'-fre'e end ofv the stud 5I engaged against the cam track 5B. As so regulatedand arranged, r0- tationl ofthe pin-wheel 45 incident toy power translation of the head assembly along the table Y top surface operates through the element 49 and stud 5i to 4progressively move the anvil 42 toward the element 3E with consequently augmented grinding effect on and diameter reduction of the strand il therebetween, until the position of minimum such-spacing results from stud 5i engagement with the cam track high point at the end limit of head assembly travel. As is obvious, the range of travel of the anvil 42 relative to the grinding surface of the element 59 is limited by the pitch or offset of the cam track 5b characteristic of the element 49 included in the operative assembly, but it is wholly feasible and mechanically simple to interchange elements 49`having cam tracks 50 of varying pitch and-offset characteristics, and thereby effect such range of relative anvil travel as may be desired.

' Since many changes, variations, and modliications in the specific form, construction, and arrangement of the apparatus elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understoodv as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for the production of tapered fishing leaders comprising: axially aligned spindles adapted to support a strand of leader material under tension therebetween; means rotating said spindles in a common direction and at a common speed; a grinding head movable longitudinally of said strand; a grinding element mounted on said head alongside said strand; an anvil block shiftable on said head in parallelism with the axis of said spindles toward and away from the grinding element to cooperate with the latter in the deiinition of a variable-width, strand-receiving throat, said anvil being resiliently held away from said grinding element and in position-limiting relation therewith;y andme'ans acting to shift said anvil toward said grinding element.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the anvil is resiliently held to the limit of its spacing away from the grinding element, and the means for shifting said anvil toward the grinding element comprise a shaft perpendicular to the strand axis rotatably carried by the head on the side of the anvil remote from the strand, means for rotating said shaft as an incident of head travel, a spirally-oifset, annular cam track iixed to the end of said shaft in opposition to said anvil, and a stud adjustably xed in said anvil `in end-engagement against said cam track.

leaders comprising: tensioninga. strand of exible leader material by drawing its extremities oppositely outward; rotating both of saidy extremities in the same direction andat a common speed; rotating a grinding element in a plane parallel to and alongside of said strand; simultaneously moving said grinding element longitudinally of said tensioned strand; and progressively forcing the axisA of said strand further from its normal position and-toward-saidgrinding element as said grindingelement travels'falong said strand.

4. Means for manufacturing tapered ijishing leaders comprisingin combination: an elongated supportingmember; twospacedrapart spindles mounted on saidl supporting` member vinaxial alignment; means for attaching and tensioning a strand of leader materialbetweensaidvspindles; driving means connected to both spindles` and Vrotating the latter in unison;y yav grinding head mounted'on said supportingmember; means-for moving said grinding head alongv said Supporting member parallel to said strandisimultaneously with the rotation of the latter; a power driven grinding element mounted on said head and vpositioned to engage one side of. said strand; an anvil mounted on said head and-positioned to engage the opposite side of said strand, said anvil being movable toward and away from said strand; a rotatable cam device engagingsaid anvil whereby rotation of said cam device willimpart-movement to said anvil; and means-mounted on-said cam device andrengaging said stationarvsupporting member so that travel of saidheadwilllimpart rotation to said cam device..

5.,Means for manufactur-ii'ig` tapered shing leaders as 4described inrclaimv lhaving a cam shaft projectinglfrom said cam device; awheel mounted on said cam shaft; and-fixedr contact means carried by said supporting-` member andengageable by said vvheeliorv impartingfrotation to said cam device. l

6. Means for' manufacturing. taperedl shing leaders as described in claim.5 having pins-projecting from said wheel and projections projecting from said supporting ,means at .spaced intervals in the path of said pins, to be engaged by the lat.- ter for imparting rotation to lsaid-cam device in consequence ofthe travel of said headi.

WALTER s: PETERsoN; sn.

REFERENCEsf CITED;

' The following references areof-record-in` the le. of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 642,452 Hull Jan. 30, 1900 1,385,367 Einsele July"26192,1 1,387,045 lriedman Aug; 9,v .1921 1,509,263 Saladino Sept. 23, .1924 1,864,584 Cowdery June 28, 1932 2,463,783 Lind Mar. 8,-` 1.949

FOREIGN PATENTS' N umber- Country Date 301,197 Germany Oct..1319.1'l7 

